There is a strong need for low-cost biosensors to enable rapid, on-site analysis of biological, biomedical, or chemical substances. We propose a platform for label-free optical biosensors based on applying the analyte onto a surface-functionalized photonic crystal slab and performing a transmission measurement with two crossed polarization filters. This dark-field approach allows for efficient background suppression as only the photonic crystal guided-mode resonances interacting with the functionalized surface experience significant polarization rotation. We present a compact biosensor demonstrator using a low-cost light emitting diode and a simple photodiode capable of detecting the binding kinetics of a 2.5 nM solution of the protein streptavidin on a biotin-functionalized photonic crystal surface.

© 2010 OSA

1. J. N. Anker, W. P. Hall, O. Lyandres, N. C. Shah, J. Zhao, and R. P. Van Duyne, “Biosensing with plasmonic nanosensors,” Nat. Mater. 7(6), 442–453 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
2. Y. Cui, Q. Wei, H. Park, and C. M. Lieber, “Nanowire nanosensors for highly sensitive and selective detection of biological and chemical species,” Science 293(5533), 1289–1292 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. B. Polisky, R. Jenison, S. Yang, and A. Haeberli, “Interference-based detection of nucleic acid targets on optically coated silicon,” Nat. Biotechnol. 19(1), 62–65 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. V. S. Y. Lin, K. Motesharei, K. P. S. Dancil, M. J. Sailor, and M. R. Ghadiri, “A porous silicon-based optical interferometric biosensor,” Science 278(5339), 840–843 (1997). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. A. M. Armani, R. P. Kulkarni, S. E. Fraser, R. C. Flagan, and K. J. Vahala, “Label-free, single-molecule detection with optical microcavities,” Science 317(5839), 783–787 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. E. Chow, A. Grot, L. W. Mirkarimi, M. Sigalas, and G. Girolami, “Ultracompact biochemical sensor built with two-dimensional photonic crystal microcavity,” Opt. Lett. 29(10), 1093–1095 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. B. T. Cunningham, P. Li, S. Schulz, B. Lin, C. Baird, J. Gerstenmaier, C. Genick, F. Wang, E. Fine, and L. Laing, “Label-free assays on the BIND system,” J. Biomol. Screen. 9(6), 481–490 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
8. F. Vollmer, D. Braun, A. Libchaber, M. Khoshsima, I. Teraoka, and S. Arnold, “Protein detection by optical shift of a resonant microcavity,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 80(21), 4057–4059 (2002). [CrossRef]
9. G. Zheng, F. Patolsky, Y. Cui, W. U. Wang, and C. M. Lieber, “Multiplexed electrical detection of cancer markers with nanowire sensor arrays,” Nat. Biotechnol. 23(10), 1294–1301 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. S. Fan and J. D. Joannopoulos, “Analysis of guided resonances in photonic crystal slabs,” Phys. Rev. B 65(23), 235112 (2002). [CrossRef]
11. Y. Nazirizadeh, J. G. Müller, U. Geyer, D. Schelle, E.-B. Kley, A. Tünnermann, U. Lemmer, and M. Gerken, “Optical characterization of photonic crystal slabs using orthogonally oriented polarization filters,” Opt. Express 16(10), 7153–7160 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. Y. Nazirizadeh, U. Lemmer, and M. Gerken, “Experimental quality factor determination of guided-mode resonances in photonic crystal slabs,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 93(26), 261110 (2008). [CrossRef]
13. Y. Nazirizadeh, J. G. Müller, U. Geyer, U. Lemmer, and M. Gerken, “Direct observation of photonic modes in photonic crystal slabs,” in Proceedings of International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (Academic, 2008), pp. 72–75.
14. U. Geyer, J. Hauss, B. Riedel, S. Gleiss, U. Lemmer, and M. Gerken, “Large-scale patterning of indium tin oxide electrodes for guided mode extraction from organic light-emitting diodes,” J. Appl. Phys. 104(9), 093111 (2008). [CrossRef]
15. L. Shi, P. Pottier, Y. A. Peter, and M. Skorobogatiy, “Guided-mode resonance photonic crystal slab sensors based on bead monolayer geometry,” Opt. Express 16(22), 17962–17971 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
16. T. Sano and C. R. Cantor, “Intersubunit contacts made by tryptophan 120 with biotin are essential for both strong biotin binding and biotin-induced tighter subunit association of streptavidin,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 92(8), 3180–3184 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• F. Vollmer, D. Braun, A. Libchaber, M. Khoshsima, I. Teraoka, and S. Arnold, “Protein detection by optical shift of a resonant microcavity,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 80(21), 4057–4059 (2002). [CrossRef]
• Y. Nazirizadeh, U. Lemmer, and M. Gerken, “Experimental quality factor determination of guided-mode resonances in photonic crystal slabs,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 93(26), 261110 (2008). [CrossRef]

J. Appl. Phys.

• U. Geyer, J. Hauss, B. Riedel, S. Gleiss, U. Lemmer, and M. Gerken, “Large-scale patterning of indium tin oxide electrodes for guided mode extraction from organic light-emitting diodes,” J. Appl. Phys. 104(9), 093111 (2008). [CrossRef]

J. Biomol. Screen.

• B. T. Cunningham, P. Li, S. Schulz, B. Lin, C. Baird, J. Gerstenmaier, C. Genick, F. Wang, E. Fine, and L. Laing, “Label-free assays on the BIND system,” J. Biomol. Screen. 9(6), 481–490 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Nat. Biotechnol.

• G. Zheng, F. Patolsky, Y. Cui, W. U. Wang, and C. M. Lieber, “Multiplexed electrical detection of cancer markers with nanowire sensor arrays,” Nat. Biotechnol. 23(10), 1294–1301 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• B. Polisky, R. Jenison, S. Yang, and A. Haeberli, “Interference-based detection of nucleic acid targets on optically coated silicon,” Nat. Biotechnol. 19(1), 62–65 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Nat. Mater.

• J. N. Anker, W. P. Hall, O. Lyandres, N. C. Shah, J. Zhao, and R. P. Van Duyne, “Biosensing with plasmonic nanosensors,” Nat. Mater. 7(6), 442–453 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Express

• L. Shi, P. Pottier, Y. A. Peter, and M. Skorobogatiy, “Guided-mode resonance photonic crystal slab sensors based on bead monolayer geometry,” Opt. Express 16(22), 17962–17971 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• Y. Nazirizadeh, J. G. Müller, U. Geyer, D. Schelle, E.-B. Kley, A. Tünnermann, U. Lemmer, and M. Gerken, “Optical characterization of photonic crystal slabs using orthogonally oriented polarization filters,” Opt. Express 16(10), 7153–7160 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• E. Chow, A. Grot, L. W. Mirkarimi, M. Sigalas, and G. Girolami, “Ultracompact biochemical sensor built with two-dimensional photonic crystal microcavity,” Opt. Lett. 29(10), 1093–1095 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. B

• S. Fan and J. D. Joannopoulos, “Analysis of guided resonances in photonic crystal slabs,” Phys. Rev. B 65(23), 235112 (2002). [CrossRef]

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

• T. Sano and C. R. Cantor, “Intersubunit contacts made by tryptophan 120 with biotin are essential for both strong biotin binding and biotin-induced tighter subunit association of streptavidin,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 92(8), 3180–3184 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Science

• Y. Cui, Q. Wei, H. Park, and C. M. Lieber, “Nanowire nanosensors for highly sensitive and selective detection of biological and chemical species,” Science 293(5533), 1289–1292 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• V. S. Y. Lin, K. Motesharei, K. P. S. Dancil, M. J. Sailor, and M. R. Ghadiri, “A porous silicon-based optical interferometric biosensor,” Science 278(5339), 840–843 (1997). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. M. Armani, R. P. Kulkarni, S. E. Fraser, R. C. Flagan, and K. J. Vahala, “Label-free, single-molecule detection with optical microcavities,” Science 317(5839), 783–787 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• Y. Nazirizadeh, J. G. Müller, U. Geyer, U. Lemmer, and M. Gerken, “Direct observation of photonic modes in photonic crystal slabs,” in Proceedings of International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (Academic, 2008), pp. 72–75.

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